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What should you do if you are targeted?

Mrs Oudenhuijsen said even though she was not caught out by it, she can understand why others may be tempted to take the bait.

She said: "It's an American voice on the end of the phone, so with it being a British government thing it just didn't feel right.

"But people would Google the number and see it's a legit number, so when they call back they realise it's the right number so think they should answer and do what it says."

HMRC said they were aware of the scam (Image: Getty Images)

Mrs Oudenhuijsen, who is still in the process of setting up the store for her new Coalville business 'Cash It In', said she was particularly concerned about the scammers retrieving her financial details.

"If they've got my phone number then what other information have they got about me?" she said.

Taxpayers are often targeted by fake phone calls at this time of year when most people are filing their tax returns.

More scams to look out for

Computer update fraud

This relates to a criminal ringing up a phone posing as a computer company worker, stating there is a problem with their device.

They will try to get the victim to reveal their computer passwords, banking passwords and other data. Victims can end up locked out of their own device and their passwords taken which may be linked to various accounts.

The force has advised residents to make sure people are who they say they are, as officials from large companies will never contact you across the phone in this manner.

Hang up the phone, do not give any of your information and report the attempt to Action Fraud.

Advance fee fraud

This type of fraud asks people to put a deposit down to secure an item or services. Typically, this crime is also known as a 'West African letter'.

This is when you are told there is a large sum of money being held and a payment needs to be made to release the funds. When in actual fact, this is a fraud, there is actually no money.

The following advice has been given to avoid this: "If you receive a letter or correspondence of this kin do not reply. Do not click on any links in the scam email. Do not reply to the email or contact the senders in any way.

"If you have clicked on a link in the email, do not supply any information on the website that may open. Do not open any attachments that arrive with the email. Instead report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/asov.

Online shopping and auction site payment fraud

Fraudsters will sometimes try to direct online shoppers away from legitimate and trust payment methods, like PayPal or Apple Pay, towards methods that are fairly unknown.

Shoppers can be tricked into paying money directly into someone else’s bank accounts, rather than where they are attempting to give it to.

Anyone looking to shop online safely are being advised to take the following advice: "If you are purchasing items online never move away from the legitimate payment methods used by the sites you are using.

"If you feel that a deal may be too good, or the price is far lower than the market level, reconsider your purchase. Always look at the sellers past history and comments – while this is not fool proof it will give you a good idea about the trust in that seller."

An HMRC spokesperson confirmed that they were aware of the scam and said: "In the run up to the Self Assessment deadline on January 31, be careful not to fall for phishing attempts from people pretending to be us.

"If you are suspicious at all, forward the email, text or details of the call you've received claiming to be from HMRC to us at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and texts to 60599."

The HMRC website also provides examples of scams that people should watch out for, including a list of bogus email addresses that may be used to contact people.

Scammers may, for example, contact people via text or email, or even social media, saying they are eligible to receive a tax refund.

It invites them to click a link but then takes them through to a page, which looks just like the real HMRC site, where they are invited to fill out a form that could give away their personal information.

HMRC said they never send notifications about rebates or refunds via email and never ask for personal or financial information by text.

They also said that, regarding scam phone calls, people should avoid speaking to anyone claiming to be from HMRC if their identity cannot be verified